Reinforcing member for flat wire springs



July 15, 1941.- w. c. SANDOR REINFORCING MEMBER FOR FLAT WIRE SPRINGSFiled June .21, 1939 INVENTOR. WILLIRM C. \SHNDO'R BYWW a AiqgRNEY.

Patented July 15, 1941 REINFORCING MEMBER- FOR 'WIRE SPRINGS William C.Sandor, Parma, Ohio, assignor, by

direct and mesne assignments, Lincoln, Scottsdale, Ariz.

to John 0.

Application June 21, 1939, Serial No. 280,282

Claims.

This invention relates in general to flat springs of sinuous or similarshape for use in seat structures of upholstered furniture, cushionedautomobile seats or the like and more particularly to simple andeconomic means for stifiening fiat springs of this type. These springsgenerally embody an axially compressible and extensible seating portionsupported at its opposite ends by yielding supporting means integrallyformed with the seating portion or rigidly connected therewith to effectupward bulging of the seating portion when a load is placed thereon. Inseat structures built up from such flat springs, the seating portionsthereof are interconnected, so that all springs, except the two outersprings, co-operate with the adjoining two springs in supportof a load.This joint action of the springs makes it possible to manufacture flatsprings for seat structures from relatively light wire, with theexception of the two outer springs which must be re-enforced by sideedge wires of substantial thickness, rigidly clamped to the individualcoils of the springs, or these outer springs must be manufactured fromheavier wire stock, both of which procedures are expensive in time andcosts.

The general object of the present invention is to overcome abovedescribed deficiencies in the manufacture of spring seat structures bythe provision of simple and economic re-enforcing means for flat springsof sinuous shape, which means are constructed to be readily and easilyinterengaged and interlocked with the seating portions of the springswithout use of extra clamping or other fastening means.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a wire re-enforcingmeans for flat springs of sinuous shape, which means has arrangedtherein specifically sized and located recesses permitting interweavingof the re-enforcing -means with the open loops of sinuously shaped 'flatsprings.

In addition, the invention has certain other marked superiorities whichradically distinguish it from presently known structures. Theseimprovements embodying certain novel features of construction are moreclearly set forth in the following specification and the appendedclaims: and a preferred embodiment of the invention is hereinafter shownwith reference to the accompanying drawing forming part of thespecification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is aplan view of a seat structure embodying flat springs withsinuously shaped seating portions, the two outer springs showingre-enforcing wire members interwoven with the coils of their seatingportions.

-' woven with the coils of the seating portion of the spring; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the wire re-- enforcing member.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, reference numeral 2represents the spring seat structure of a chair embodying a rectangularopen frame 3 with front, rear and side rails l, 5 and 6. Open frame 3has mounted on its front and rear rails l and 5 a plurality of flatsprings I, made of sinuously shaped or horizontally corrugated steelwire. These springs each include downwardly inclined V-shaped front andrear supporting means 8 and 8 respectively, adapted to support theproper seating portion iii of eachspring in an elevated position.

Preferably, as shown, the front and rear supporting means extendintegrally from the opposite ends of seating portion 88, and V-shapedrear supporting means 9 has two integral yielding lever arms ii and ii,the ends of which are coupled with each other' by means of a link memberM for more effective control of forward and downward movements of therear end of seating portion Ill. The ends of the respective front andrear supporting means are additionally provided withintegral seatin andattachment means which permit of proper resting of these supportingmeans on front and rear rails 6 and 5 and which are rigidly held inproper position with respect to rails t and 5 by means of staples ll.Spring seat structure 2 has its springs I at the front ends of theseating portions attached to and coupled with a U-shaped edge wire it bymeans of clip members l9, and the rear ends of the seating portions ofthese springs are coupled with a U-shaped edge wire 20 supported by andyieldingly held in proper working position by the link members it. Thetwo outside springs I are re-enforced and stiffened by a steel wirere-enforcing member 2! consisting of a curved wire embodying in itscentral portion and its end portions symmetrically arranged, downwardlyextended, parallel offsets or seating portion l and contacting of thereenforcing member 2| alternately with the top and bottom faces ofseating portion In. At its opposite ends member 2| is provided, withhook-like portions 26 which prohibit creeping movements 6 of said memberwith respect to seating portion II.

The described wire-re-enforcing member 2|, when interwoven with thesinuously shaped seating portion ID of flat wire spring I, materiallystiffens the seating portions, increases its resistance against lateraloutward tilting and thus permits of construction of spring seatstructures from flat wire springs, all of which are substantiallyidentical and made of relatively light wire stock.

Should it be desirable, the re-enforcing member 2| may simultaneouslyserve as side edge wire (see Fig. l of the drawing); The describedre-enforcing members may of course also be used for re-enforcing any andall of the seating portions of the springs of a spring wire structuremade of sinuously shaped flat wire springs, and this is of importancefor adapting a piece of furniture built for average load to excessiveloads.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. The combination of a sinuously shaped, fiat wire spring having openloops with a wire re-enforcing member interwoven with the loops of saidspring by entering said wire member alternatelyfrom opposite sides intosaid loops. said wire member including symmetrically arranged oflsetsfor alternate contact of said member with the top and bottom faces ofsaid spring.

2. The combination of a sinuously shaped,

slightly curved, flat wire spring having open loops with a slightlycurved wire re-enlorcing member interwoven with the loops of said springby entering said wire member alternately from opposite sides into saidloops, said wire member including parallel oilsets spaced from eachother for alternate contact of said member with the top and bottom facesof said flat wire spring.

8. The combination of a sinuously shaped i'iat wire spring having openloops with a wire re-enforcing member interwoven with the loops of saidspring by entering said wire member alternately from opposite sides intosaid loops, said wire member including parallel offsets connected witheach other by inclined side portions, and said oflsets being spaced toalign their side portions with said loops to facilitate interweaving ofsaid wire member with said flat wire spring for alternate contact withthe top and bottom faces of said spring.

4. The combination of a sinuously shaped flat wire spring having openloops with a wire reenforcing member interwoven with the loops of saidspring by entering said wire member alternately from opposite sides intosaid loops, said wire member including symmetrically arranged offsetsfor alternate contact of said wire member with the top and bottom facesof said spring, and a hook-shaped-portion engaged with thewire of one ofthe open loops of said wire spring to prohibit creeping of said wiremember with respect to said spring.

5. The combination of a sinuously shaped flat wire spring having openloops with a-wire reenforclng member interwoven with the loops of saidwire member, said wire member including symmetrically arranged oil'setsalternately contacting the top and bottom faces of said spring.

C. SANDOR.

